


What We May Be

by clockworkgirl99



Category: Spring Awakening - Sheik/Sater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 12:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8286143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworkgirl99/pseuds/clockworkgirl99
Summary: “I am so sorry, my son.”  The King sounded uncharacteristically tired and weak.  He was usually so regal, so imposing, taking up the entire room with only his presence.  Now he looked like what he was: a man in the latter half of his life with the weight of the world on his shoulders.  
Ernst nodded silently, eyes stinging.  This would not be pleasant, he knew.  Not at all.





	1. The Beginning

Once upon a time, there was a prince.  He was tall and fair, with dark hair and bright eyes.  His kingdom loved him, and he them.  His father, the king, adored him, and wanted nothing but his happiness.  

But nobody can get everything they want. 

Their kingdom was at war with its neighbor over the mountain, the land of the Rilows.  The other kingdom was a much crueler place, one of violence and conniving and plotting.  There were no harvest festivals, no sprawling celebrations across the castle grounds.  They had gatherings of course, but for the sole purpose of furthering their political gains.

Yes, the two kingdoms were at war and had been since before the fair Prince Ernst had been born.  Since he could remember, there were stories of brutality and hatred directed toward innocent citizens of his kingdom that had made the mistake of crossing the mountain pass.  

The two nations were at a stalemate.  The Rilows wanted to take the Robels’ land, but King Robel refused.  He loved his people almost as much as he loved his son, and refused to surrender to such an evil force.  He had done everything he could: sending tribute, permitting the free movement of the people of their kingdom to his.  There was not much more he could do and things were only getting worse.  King Rilow had recently formed an alliance with another nearby kingdom that was equally as powerful as they were.  Ernst’s father knew that he would not be able to continue to fight them off.

And so that is how Ernst came to find himself kneeling in the throne room one spring morning, just after his return from riding his mare across the palace grounds.

“You summoned me, father?”  Ernst looked up at the King.  

“Yes, my son.  Rise.  We have much to discuss.”

Ernst did as he was told and crossed his arms over his chest.  Normally he felt completely at ease in the presence of his father, but something was off today.  Something was wrong.

“Yes, father?”  

“As you know, the situation with our neighbors has gotten worse as of late.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And that with their new alliance, they are much stronger than we could ever hope to be.”

“Yes.” 

“We won’t be able to keep them away much longer.  I know that and you do too.  So I’ve thought of a possible solution.  A way we could make some kind of peace.”

“That’s wonderful, father!  What is it?”  Ernst’s innocent optimism made the king’s heart hurt.  If only the poor boy knew what he was going to be subjected to.

“Well.  You’ve just come of age this past month.”  The king rubbed a hand over his brow.  He suddenly felt a hundred years older than he was.  He had hoped to avoid this.  

“Yes, sir.”  Ernst could feel his stomach clench.  

“Well.  In the best interests of our nation, I’ve arranged a marriage for you.”

And so there it was, out in the air.  Ernst’s heart sank.  His fantasies about finding a handsome man and falling in love and marrying him were not going to be realized, after all.  He had always known that something like this could happen, but he never believed that it would.  He couldn’t speak.

When he finally found his voice, it was barely audible.

“To whom?” He asked.

“His Highness, Prince Hanschen of the Rilows.”

“Oh...Father, you can’t be serious.”  It couldn’t be true.  It couldn’t.

“I’m afraid I am.  I did everything I could to avoid this, Ernst.  I don’t have a choice.”

There was a lump in his throat that he couldn’t seem to swallow.

“When?”  His voice sounded thick.

“Three weeks.”

Ernst opened his mouth to say something, but he didn’t know what he could say.  He could protest, of course, kick and scream.  His father wouldn’t be able to bear it.  He would contact their enemy, tell them that he had changed his mind.  Ernst wouldn’t have to go.

But of course Ernst would not do that.  He loved his people too much.  He knew that this was their last chance to prevent a complete invasion.  He would do what he must to ensure that his kingdom would carry on.

“The wedding will be here and then you will return to their home with them.”

Ernst squeezed his eyes shut but nodded his head.

“I am so sorry, my son.”  The King sounded uncharacteristically tired and weak.  He was usually so regal, so imposing, taking up the entire room with only his presence.  Now he looked like what he was: a man in the latter half of his life with the weight of the world on his shoulders.  

Ernst nodded silently, eyes stinging.  This would not be pleasant, he knew.  Not at all.


	2. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three weeks before the wedding passed as if they were only a few days. The preparations took every second of Ernst’s days and he almost did not have time to feel sad about the coming change. Almost.

The three weeks before the wedding passed as if they were only a few days.  The preparations took every second of Ernst’s days and he almost did not have time to feel sad about the coming change.  Almost.

Of course, when he was alone in his bedchambers the tears inevitably came.  He was ashamed of himself for being so upset.  This was his job.  As the prince, it was his responsibility to do what needed to be done for his nation. 

He would miss his family - three elder brothers who tormented him to show their love and his father, the King.  He would be leaving his mother behind as well, entombed in the crypts below the castle.

He would miss the grounds, the staff, the sunlight slanting through the stained glass windows in the chapel.

But he would do what needed to be done.

Suddenly it was the day of his wedding.  His wedding day.  It was such a strange thought, joyless and heavy in his mind.  He hadn’t even met the man he was going to marry and the ceremony was in a few short hours.  

He was awakened before the sun rose.  The maids who had cared for him since infancy brought him breakfast and drew a warm bath for him.  He tried not to think about the fact that this would be the last time he ate breakfast in this room, bathed in this tub.  

The morning felt as if it passed in an instant.  Only a few hours after sunrise, he was standing at the back of the palace chapel in his finest clothing, a circlet topping his dark curls and moths churning in his stomach.  In just a few moments, the organist would begin playing the funeral - no, wedding - march, the doors would open, and he would walk towards his (likely unpleasant) future.  

His despair must have shown on his face because one of the maids who had cared for him since he was a baby gave him a pat on the shoulder and a soft smile.  He would miss these women.  They were the closest thing to a mother that he had ever known.

Before he had time to tear up, the music began to play, the servants retreated, and the doors were flung open.  Ernst raised his chin and stepped forward into the chapel.

Every lord and lady of his kingdom was in attendance, along with many of those from the  Rilows’.   The tension in the room was palpable; his people were seated on the left, the Rilows on the right.  He kept his head held high as he walked along the aisle toward his husband-to-be.  The other man faced the far wall and the priest.  He did not turn back to look at Ernst.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ernst reached the head of the chapel.  The Rilow Prince turned to look at him.

He was slightly taller than Ernst, with cold blue eyes and pale skin.  He was handsome, but he looked as unfriendly as his kingdom was.  When the priest asked them to join hands, Prince Hanschen placed his cool palms in Ernst’s sweaty ones loosely, as if he was touching something unpleasant.  A grimace crossed his face.  

Ernst’s stomach sank.  This was his future.  He had known that it wouldn’t be the beautiful fairytale he’d dreamed of as a child, but he was still disappointed.  Some part of him had held out hope that the Rilow Prince would be different than the rest of his people.  Those hopes were crushed now.  

The ceremony passed by at an agonizingly slow rate.  It seemed as if it would never end.  Finally, though, it was over.

“I now pronounce you spouses.  You may kiss,” the priest said finally.

Prince Hanschen leaned down and kissed Ernst.  He was surprisingly gentle, but there was no warmth to it.  Ernst’s heart twisted in his chest.  He’d never been kissed before and the first time it happened, it felt like kissing a wall.  

The two princes pulled back and turned to face their people.  The crowd cheered, but Ernst couldn’t hear it over the blood rushing in his ears.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to update this pretty often, but senior year is the devil, so I make no promises.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm always trash for an Arranged Marriage AU.


End file.
